Highway joint



E. s. CLARK March 19, 1940.

Filed May 11, 1939 l LiaZ/UW l @M M7? XM Patented Mar. 19,A 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFF-ICE Elmer S. Clark,` Massapequa, N. Y. Application May11, 1939, Serial No. 273,115

This invention relates to an improved expansible joint for connectingadjacent portions of highway sections or slabs. y

` In the construction of highways formed from '5* aA plastic materialsuch as concrete, it has been customary to form the top surface of thehighway of a plurality of sections or slabs, which are spaced from eachother to permit expansion of the sections in response to heat. Thespaces belo tween the sections are usually filled with tar or similarmaterial which is elastic to allow the slabs to expand. However, theexpansion of 'the' slabs frequently squeezes this material out of the lspaces between ther slabs so that when the slabs l5 again contract aspace is leftv which gradually fills with gravel, dirt or the like whichbecomes embedded in the remaining binder material and is graduallyhardened so that the binding material is no longer elastic, and as aresult when 20 the slabs are again expanded the pressure causes theslabs tocrack and break open.

v' It is a particular aim of this invention to provide a joint toreplace the binding material Abetween roadway slabs formed ofcontractible sec- 9,5 tions which will contract or expand relatively toveach other in response to the expansion or retraction, respectively, ofthe slabs.

More particularly, it is an aim of this invention to provide a jointformed of corresponding 3'0 sections' having inwardly projectingflanges, olfset relatively toeach other, and disposed in overlappingtelescoping engagement, and yieldable means for initially retaining saidsections in extended position while the slabs are being formed. s AStillanother object of the invention is to provide detachable means connectedto said joint sections and adapted to be embedded in the ends of theslabs for connecting the slabs to the joints,

said means being detachable from the sections v 40.1 for removing one orthe other of the joint sections to repair or partially replace theroadway.

Other objects and advantages of the'invention will hereinafterbecome'more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, which 45:1 illustrates a preferred embodimentthereof, and

wherein-- j Figure 1v is a transverse vertical sectional View showingone of the joints in position between 'the adjacent ends of two roadwayslabs,

Figure 2 is a side elevational View looking toward the inner side of oneof the joint sections,

and

Figure is a perspective vview of one of the wedges. 55 AReferring moreparticularly to the drawing,

wherein like reference characters 'designate like, or correspondingparts throughout the different views, I 8 designates generally a portionof a road- Way including' a foundation II provided with 'a sub-grade I2,of asphaltic felt or the like, and the upper surface I3 comprisingaplurality of` slabs or sections I4, portions of two of kwhich are seenin Figure l. These parts are of conventional construction forming aconventional road.

The joint, designated generally I5, andcomprising this invention,includes `the corresponding sections I6, preferably formed of steel, andin the shape of an I-beam,y in cross section. The sections or -I-beamsI6 are provided with the outwardly projecting corresponding flanges I'I,at their tops and bottoms and the inwardly pro,-` jecting flanges I8andI9. Flanges I8`each comprise a lip 20 which is offset yinwardly from theedge of the I-beam or section I6, the sides of which connect with theinclined surfaces 2I and 22. The lianges I9 are each providedwith a lip23 the outer surface of which is flush with the corresponding surface ofthe adjacent flange I1 and the innery sidel of which terminates in theinclined surface 24. Lips 28 and 23 have the cor'- respondingly beveledends 24. Oneof the sec` tions I6 of the joint I5 is disposed with theflange I8 at its top and the other section isdisposed with the flange I8at its bottom so that the lips 28 and 23 of the two sections I6 arepositioned in overlapping relationship Ito each other, and as best seenin Figure 1 the lips 26 are offset inwardly of the joint I5 a distanceequal to the width of the lipsy 23 so that when the sections areassembled with the lips 20 and 23 in overlapping 35 engagement the top`and bottom surfaces of the sectionsA I6 will be flush with each other.The

lflanges I8 and I 9 are adapted to be disposed in overlapping engagementand are slidably disposed relatively to eachy other sothat the sec` v40ytions I 6 maybe moved ltoward or 'away from each other, for a purposewhich will herein` after be described. The web portions of the sectionsI6 are provided with one or more series of openings 25, as best seen inFigure 2, through whichare adapted to extend the threaded ends 26 of theheaded bolts 21 which are adjustably and detachably connected to thesections I6 by the nuts 28 which are connected to the threaded ends 26and disposed on either side of the web portions of the sections I6.` Theheaded ends of the bolts 21 project outwardly and are adapted to beembedded in the roadwaysections or slabs |4, as seen in Figure 1. Thewedge block 29, as seen in Figure 3, has an inclined front face '30. u

adapted to be disposed between the webs of the sections I6 with theirinclined or cam faces 30 in abutting or partially abutting relationship,as seen in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The joint I5 is assembled in a roadway I0, as

` follows: the slabs or sections I4 of the upper surface of the roadwayIU are molded from a plastic material such as cement which is pouredinto conventional type forms, not shown. When these forms are positionedfor. molding a slab I4, a section I 6 is placedat the ends or sides andthese sections act as a part of the form so that when the cement ispoured therein and molded the shanks and heads of the bolts 2l will beembedded in the cement constituting a slab or section I4.

The forms are then placed for the adjacent slab' or section I4 and theother section IE off each. joint i5 is positioned and heldin an extendedposition relatively to the rst section I6 by means `of the pairs of.wedge blocks y2 9 so that when the last mentioned slab. is formed thejoint I5 will be in' an extended position, as seen in Figure l. Thewedge blocks 29 are preferably formed of an adhesive yieldable materialor may be formed of a soft woodthat can be readily crushed. When thewedge blocks 29 are p ositionedfbetlween` the joint sections thesurfaces Se are positioned relatively to each other to adjust the pairsof` blocks to the proper width desired, depending upon the temperatureat the time the slabs are moldedand if these blocks are not inherentlyadhesive the surfaces 30 are preferably coated with an adhesive, notshown, to secure the pairs of blocks in properlyadjusted position afterwhich the back surface of one of the blocks is similarly coated andsecured to the inner side of the web of' the section I6 which has beensecured to the slab I4 already formed, as heretofore described, so thatwhen the other joint section is positioned itwill be properly spaced bymeans of the wedge blocks 29. After the adjacent slabs I4 have beenformed and hardened wedge blocks 29 may be knocked out of place in anysuitable manner, or if left. in place they will be readily compressedwhen the slabs I4 are expanded to permit the sections I6 to be movedinwardly of each other. t will thus be seen, that the sections of thejoint yl5 are in telescoping engagement to contract and expand inresponse to expansion and contraction, respectively, of the slabs I6.The upper flanges Il bear the load of the vehicles passing over thejoint I5 and the ends of the slabs I by being disposed beneath theflanges Il are prevented from being cracked and broken by weightappliedv thereto. The sub-surface I2 ofthe road bed II is preferablyformed of a material such as asphaltic felt to prevent the foundation,which is generally cement, from uniting with the base of the slabs I andwith the bottoms of the sections I t.

One section or slab I4 can be readily repaired and replaced, ifnecessary, or a section of the joint I5 can be replaced, by tearingoutan end of the slab I4 to be repaired orv replaced thus releasing oneof the sections I6 which can be detachedfromits .bolts 2l by removingthe nuts 28. If the other section I6 requires replacing, this as`hereinafter 4defined by the appended claims. j

' I claim as my invention: l

l. A device of the class described comprising a pair of I-shaped beamshaving inwardly pro.- jecting anges offset relatively to each other anddisposed. in overlapping engagement, means secured' to and projectingoutwardly from said beams andv adapted to be embedded in sections of acement roadway, for connecting the adjacent I ends of said sections tosaid I-beams, andmeans disposed between said. sections. for yieldably;retaining them in extended relationshipy and for initially adjusting theother. f l

2. A device as in claim 1, said first mentioned means comprising aplurality of bolts, said I- sections relatively` toeachA beams havingspaced openings to. receive the Shanks of said bolts, saidy Shanksbeing'threaded, j

nuts engaging said threaded ends, on either side of said I-beams foradjustably mounting them relatively to the beams, andsaid boltsprojecting outwardly from said beams and being provided with headed endsadapted to be embedded in theV roadway sections.. v

3. A device asin claim l, said last mentioned means comprising wedgesformed of a yieldable material and disposed between said I-beams. and

having corresponding abutting cam shaped-sur- 4. Anv expansible roadjoint comprisingra pair of corresponding spaced sections having inwardlyprojecting. anges, the anges at the top. and

bottom. of said sections being offset relatively.I to' each other anddisposed in overlapping .telescoping engagement, headed. fasteningsadjustably. and detachably connected to said sections and projectingoutwardlyv therefrom, said. fas-k tenings being adapted to be embeddedin adjacentends of sections of a plastic roadway, and wedge shapedmembers. disposed between the sections of said joint for yieldablyretaining; them in extended relationship relatively to each other,

said wedges being. adjustable, relatively to each other, to initiallyadjust the sections. I

5. A highway joint formed of I-beam sections, the inwardly projectingflanges of said sections being recessed tooffset said flanges relativelyto each other, said odset flanges being disposed in overlappingrelationship to form. a telescoping,r

connection, and a pair of blocks having Wedge shaped abutting facesdisposed between the sections for spacing them relatively to eachother.' said. blocks, being adjustable. relatively to eachv other toinitially vary the space between the sec.h tions, and being resilient toyieldably positicmthe sections lrelatively to each other.

ELMER. S. CLARK.

